Barking Up The Wrong Tree
by XLight ForeverX
Summary: After an attempt to overthrow him, Atemu is thrown back into the world of the living, not as himself, but as a dog. He goes to Yugi hoping to find help. Instead he finds a completely changed Hikari.
1. Escape

1A/N Yes I am starting a new fic. I thought about doing this for a while but I wasn't too sure if it was a good idea with my other stories still out. Hopefully this turns out to be a good one. You tell me.

Disclaimer- I own nothing not even the song in here.

Summary- After an attempt to other throw him, Yami is thrown back into the living world, not as himself, but as a black lab. He returns to Yugi hoping to get help. Instead, he finds a completely changed hikari.

**Song lyrics**

_Thoughts_

Chapter 1

"Grab him! Don't let him out of your sight!" a soilder cried, charging after the black blurr that sprinted past him. A couple of Guards were on his heels as the black retriever galloped as fast as he could through the corridors. Crimson eyes flitted from one door to another trying to find an exit.

Pain seemed to spread through his body as a guard tackled him. His leg was killing him. The black lab yelped slightly then growled out of frustration. The guard tightly holding him seemed to ease off at the vicious snarl. Amusement flickered in blood stained eyes as the black lab let out another vicious growl. The guard completely let go this time and backed off slowly. "It's okay. No one is going to hurt you boy." he whispered somewhat soothingly.

The black animal snarled at the comment. He wasn't a dog, at least he wasn't suppose to be. He advanced on the frightened guard but paused when he heard more foot steps down the hall. More guards.

"Atemu!" A raspy whisper came from a door very close by. The dog turned abruptly and the rage bottom seemed to be turned off. He stood tall and watched a brown haired teen beckon him inside a tiny room. "Come, we have little time!"

The black lab turned to look at the corridor again and noticed his guard friend had sprinted down the hall in hopes to escape the angry beast. Tail wagging, the retriever trotted into the room Mana had motioned. Mana shut the door tightly and laid a wooden board across the opening in hopes to stall the guards. She turned to her friend and smiled sadly. "I don't know why this is happening. Can you understand me?"

The crimson eyed dog barked happily.

"Shhhh!" Mana whispered. "I don't think that door is going to hold them long." She knelt and put a hand on the dog's head. "I'm so sorry for all this. I don't understand it. Mahado told me they would cause you no harm. He said it was just to make you stronger."

The black lab cocked his head to the left and whined softly.

Tears filled the young maiden's eyes. "I don't know how to reverse the spell. If I can't changed you back how are you going to help your people?" She sniffed but froze when a slam came to the door to her right. She gasped as she stood, grabbing the dog by the back of the neck she dragged him to the further end of the room. A curtain covered the wall and she pulled on it harshly.

The black lab barked rather loudly at the sight before him. On the beautiful stone wall, another scene seemed to shimmer to life. A flowing view of buildings, cars, and many people crowding the streets flooded the ancient wall. The crimson eyes watched interest in the sight they were taking in.

Another slam to the door made both of the figures jump. "Mana, open this door!" commanded a rather angry magician. Mana shook slightly remained still. The lab growled loudly and made a motion to the door but Mana knelt before him, holding him back.

"No." She said sternly. "I used the magic I have left to create this for you. It leads you back to Domino City. You must go and find help. Find you Hikari, he will help us." She hugged her friend briefly before turned him towards the portal. The door behind them started to snap at the force of the magic being pushed on it. "Go!" Mana shouted, pushing him towards the portal.

The black lab whined slightly, grabbing hold of the teen's robes and trying to drag her in with him.

"No." she shook her head. "Only one may enter. The portal will only open once more to let you home. You must be ready at that time." She smiled at the lab, tears finally spilling down her face. "Good luck." She whispered before pushing the lab as hard as she could into the portal.

The door snapped open with such a force that wooden splinters came surging throughout the room. Mana watched as the portal closed on her friend. "I'll miss you." She said as guards swarmed in and tackled her to the floor. She made no struggle or motion to escape. Where would she run?

Mahado looked around the room. When he didn't sense their young former king, he glared at her. "Foolish girl."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

**As we're sitting here starring each other down,**

**You open up your mouth, Let your lies spu out,**

**What are we doing here? It's wrong can't you see?**

**You want to leave me here, and forget about me. **

The music made of the whole car shake as Yugi drove down Domino Boulivard. He bobbed his head to the music as he turned onto the road that would lead stright to the Kame Shop. After the end of a long day of school and work, he was ready to kick back for the night. His grandfather was on another exposition on Egypt and he had the whole place to himself.

**You look me, in the face,**

**Tell me I'll, a disgrace,**

**You say that you're the vicitm,**

**I say you're full of shit.**

Yugi started to sing alone to the heavy metal band smiling all the way. He loved this song. It made it perfectly clear how he felt on certain issues. He growled slightly when he felt his cell phone vibrate on his belt. He turned the music down to bare whisper and answered it rolling his eyes. "What?"

"Nice to hear from you, too." The teenager replied.

"Sorry Joey." Yugi replied glancing at the side streets to make sure no one was coming. "Long day at work."

"That must have been the only long day. You skipped your fourth mod. Yugi, dude you do realize that you are failing that class now, right?" Joey nagged him, irration building in his voice.

Yugi rolled his eyes again. "Joey, if I wanted to be spoken down to I would have called my grandfather. Is that the only reason why you called me? To tell me that I'm failing my Pre-calc class? I could have looked at my report card and saved a few phone minutes."

Joey sighed. "Yeah, because you use so many of them. Yug, what is going on with you man? You never want to hang out with the gang anymore, you aren't keeping up with your grades, and your attitude is somewhat–er– out of place?" There was a pause. "This isn't about him again is it?"

Yugi answered almost immediately, not wanting to discuss his former other half. "No."

Joey saw through the lie. "Yugi, he wouldn't want you to drag yourself down because of him. I can almost guarantee that he wanted you to be happy."

"I am happy." Yugi laughed out loud. "Why wouldn't I be?" He asked. He stopped at another stop sign and looked both ways before continuing. "Joey listen, if you really want me to be 'myself' again just leave me alone and wait for me to come around."

"Yugi, it has been 3 months. You do realize he isn't coming back right?" Joey asked curiously.

Yugi felt like a child. _Of course I know that. Why else would I be so angry?_ "Duh!" Yugi replied. "Joey, I'm on my way home, can I call you back later. I have a lot of stuff I have to do aro—,"

There was a sudden gasp and Joey thought he heard a thud. "Yugi?" There wasn't a reply. "Yugi, man you alright?!" His voice rising in panic.

Yugi remained still. He just hit something. "Y-yeah." He caught his breath for a second. "I gotta go." He said and hung up not bothering to pay attention to his friend's protest. Yugi slowly got out of the car. The street wasn't busy so no one was behind him waiting to pass. Yugi walked carefully to the front of his car.

A black mound lay in front of his car. Yugi crept closer and noticed it was a dog. He cursed under his breath. He had never hit anything before. His heart jumped at the possibility that he just killed some kid's pet. Carefully he made his way to the side of the animal.

"Hello?" He asked quietly, poking the dog's side. "Please be okay." Yugi jumped when the dog whined softly and picked it's head up. Yugi froze when the dog looked at him. Crimson. Yugi shuddered slightly. He hated that color. The dog panted and wagged it's tail as if happy to see him. Yugi smirked slightly. "You should be more careful." He said to the dog.

The black lab sat up and then stood up wagging it's tail greatfully. _It seem's fine._ Yugi thought. Carefully he outstretched his hand and allowed the dog to sniff him. When he seemed comfortable with the scent he started barking, making Yugi draw his hand back. The black lab pranced around him happily.

Yugi frowned confused. "Where is your owner?" He asked quietly. He put his hand on the dog's head and looked under his neck. No collar. "You can't be a stray. You're too tame." Yugi watched the dog yap at him a little while longer. Yugi shrugged. "I don't know where you came from but you better get back home. It is getting late and I'm sure your owner misses you."

Yugi turned around and started to head back to his open drivers side door. The dog beat him there and hopped into his car. He sat on the passenger's side seat and wagged his tail. Yugi laughed slightly. "No." He said. "You can't come with me." He grabbed the crimson eyes black lab and tried to pull him out of the car. The dog wouldn't budge. Yugi got annoyed after a while. "Listen, mutt! I have no food for you. Go away."

The black cocked his head and whimpered. Yugi noticed the dog seemed to not enjoy his attitude. _Well I'm not exactly enjoying you're company_. He thought angrily. Yugi walked to the passenger's side door and opened it. "Get out." he said more sternly.

The dog looked at the cold pavement at Yugi's feet and then back up at him. He whi8ned softly and then jumped out of the car. Yugi was surprised by this sudden obedience. "Um, good." Yugi shut the door and walked over to his side. He got in and shut the door behind him. The black lab jumped on his hind feet and put his paws on the car. "Hey! Don't do that!" Yugi snapped after buckling his seat belt. "You'll ruin the paint job!"

The dog got down when Yugi started the car. Yugi made sure the dog was out of reach before he drove off towards home. Yugi looked in the rear view mirror and saw the dog standing in the middle of the road watching him leave. He had his head cocked to one side and sat down slowly. Yugi felt a pain ping his heart for leaving the dog there but it wasn't his to take care of._ Who knows what kind of disease he may have anyway! _

Yugi drove for about five more minutes before coming to a stop in front of the Kame Shop. He got out of the car and looked around. He wasn't in much of a mood to go inside yet. The air was cool and surprisingly clean for the fall night. Yugi sighed and started walking down the street. A walk would do him good before he went inside. He considered going after the dog to see if he was still sitting there but decided to go on a much crowded route.

As Yugi walked he thought was the past few months. He couldn't lie. It was hard not seeing his other self anymore. He missed him a lot. Not just him either, all of his friends missed the former Pharaoh. Yugi frowned angrily. _I understand he had to leave. I really do. But couldn't he of let me know that he was going to miss me? Let me know that this decision wasn't easy for him? Or maybe it was. Maybe he wanted to be a Pharaoh more than he ever wanted to be a Yami._

Yugi's stomach growled signaling him it was time to go home and fix up something to eat. Yugi looked at his watch. He had been walking about a half hour. He shrugged and walked to the edge of his road, happy to see the Kame Shop lights. Yugi strolled up to the front door and unlocked it.

He puched it open and was about to enter when something whirled past him into his house. Yugi froze, panick pumping through his veins. Yugi flicked on the side light and looked around. Yugi sighed almost relieved. A black lab stood in the center of the Kame Shop wagging his tail. "You have to be kidding me." Yugi shook his head. He walked inside and point outside. "Out!" Yugi demanded hoping the dog would be just as obedient as last time.

Yugi thought wrong. The black lab sat in the midddle of the floor and raised a paw at him. Yugi waited for what seemed like minutes. Crimson and Violet starred each other down. Yugi shut the door making the lab look happy. He turned to the strange dog. "One night. That is it!" Yugi declare and was then ambushed by a happy dog.

_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_

A/N Okay, that is the end of chapter one. I would like to dedicate this chapter to AtemuYuugi34 for just plain awesomeness. I decided that I'm going to dedicate a chapter to a good writer, one that I have been reading up on. Let me know if you have some good stroies.


	2. Trouble

A/N Sorry I haven't updated in a while. My closest friend tried to commit suicide about six weeks ago and things haven't been too great for her. I spend every minute by her side now. Read my profile for more info...but I'm guessing most of you want more continuation. Well, I don't own Yu-gi-oh, though I wish I did, I don't.

Chapter 2 Trouble

Yugi felt anger simmering inside his every capillary. He was sitting cross legged on the couch with his cell phone to his ear. This time, it wasn't Joey giving him trouble. Yugi listened to the cold voice talking to him as if he were a child while watching his new "friend". The black lab paced around the room as if looking for something to do. It bumped into a plant and when it swayed, the lab noticed and jumped out of fright.

"Are you listening to me?" Asked the man on the other line.

Yugi rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I heard you. Listen, I really wish that I could pay you back but I just don't have the money right now. If you give me another week I can get it to you." Yugi almost whined. This wasn't the man to mess with and Yugi knew he was trying his patience.

"You told me that two weeks ago." the man sighed, "Don't make me come over there and get what I well deserve the hard way. You know I despise bloody messes."

Yugi felt a knot form in his throat. The lab looked up from his sniffing of the Tv as if he had identified the stress. Yugi swallowed hard before answering. "I know I promised to give you the money but I honestly don't have it. I haven't been in a dueling tournament for a long time now." Yugi felt his heart sting with remembrance of Kiaba's last tournament. He and Atemu were still partners then.

"Seems to me your grandfather owns a game shop. I know he has to have a few hundred saved–,"

"That's not an option!" Yugi shouted before he got his thoughts together. The idea outraged him. Sure he wasn't the greatest teenager in the world but he would never steal from his own flesh and blood.

The man growled. "I need that money. I have no problem hooking you up when you want some but I need the dough. Bring the money or you'll regret it." the man stated before hanging up the phone.

Yugi gave a frustrated yell and threw his cell phone across the room. The black lab watched it fly before trotting cautiously to the teen's side. He jumped up on the couch but Yugi quickly pushed him down. "I said you could stay. That doesn't mean that you own the place." He snapped. The black lab looked down at the ground. For some reason it made Yugi loosen up a bit and he stood. "How about dinner?"

The lab's tail began to wag happily as he skipped his way into the kitchen. Yugi shook his head in amusement. _What a strange dog. He must have an owner out there that misses him terribly. _Yugi pondered as he followed man's best friend. He opened the fridge to see if he had anymore leftovers. After finding nothing edible, he grabbed a can of tuna and fixed himself up a sandwich. "I don't know what dogs eat but this will have to do for now." He said as he slipped a small bowl of leftover tuna under the happy mutt.

The lab started to gobble it up immediately. Yugi smiled and took his plate into the living room to watch some TV. He flipped through the channels and found an interesting duel (A/N I'm guessing its like baseball, on all the time!) Between Rex and some kid from America. He munched on the tuna sandwich but stopped when he heard an unfamiliar sound. Yugi turned suddenly to find the black lab dragging the tiny bowl out into the living room. Mesmerized, Yugi watched the lab set the bowl in front of the TV, look up at it and then continue eating.

Yugi started to laugh which caught the dog's attention. "What's wrong? Want to see some action, too?" Yugi asked as the dog turned back to the TV and watched the monster's battle. Yugi shook his head and finished his own meal, glad that their floor wasn't carpeted anymore.

The duel went on for a while longer until finally both players were down to four hundred life points. Yugi had his hands on his knees, watching intently and to his surprise, so was his new companion. The American kid named Mike had sacrificed his lower level monster to play the dark magician. _All right! Now this is my kind of duel!_ Yugi thought excitedly.

Unfortunately, the black lab didn't think so. It started out as a low but definite growl. Yugi starred at the black dog and then back to the TV. The dog stood on its feet and started growling loudly, baring it's teeth to show strength. Yugi watched the TV as the camera crews showed a close up of the Dark Magician. Then all hell broke loose. The black lab lunged at the TV in a fit of barks and growls. "Hush!" Yugi yelled but the dog kept going.

Yugi stood and walked over to the black lab. Yugi examined him closely as those crimson eyes showed absolute hate and anger towards the monster on the TV. _Maybe he has some kind of mental disease? _Yugi wondered wishing that he didn't let the dog in for point one. "What is wrong with you, mutt?" Yugi asked, starting to dislike the noise. The black lab ignored him and started howling at the TV.

"I said be quiet!" Yugi shouted giving the dog a slap on the nose, a little harder than he had intended. The black lab immediately jumped back and backed away from the TV and the teen. He was completely quiet. Those crimson eyes looked at Yugi with sorrow which only made him more angry. "Well if you had listened to me the first time I wouldn't have hit you. I can't have my neighbors complaining!" He shouted. "Just be quiet."

The dog backed all the way up against the couch with a hurt look on its face. It watched Yugi sigh and when the teen headed back, it quickly got out of the way.

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Fine, run away like a bitch. See if I care." Yugi stated._ Seems like that's what everyone around me does these days anyway. _Yugi growled with contempt. The black lab sat quietly in the doorway of the kitchen and living room watching the teen carefully. Something was definitely wrong.

Since he wasn't really in much of a mood to watch the end of the duel he turned the TV off. Yugi knew exactly what he wanted to do but wasn't sure whether it was smart. He walked up the stairs towards his room with the lab following at a safe distance. Yugi opened the drawer of his dresser and felt under his boxers. His grandfather never went through this drawer. Yugi found what he was looking for and pulled out the bag. This would be a good distraction.

The crimson eyed black lab watched carefully as Yugi ventured back to his bed with a plastic bag with what looked like rolled up pieces of paper in it and a lighter. Yugi sat on his bed and took out on of the rolls. He lit it and carefully guided it to his mouth to take an intake. The black lab's wheels turned in its head and finally the light bulb came on. He growled slightly and ran u to the teen completely forgetting the incident just moments before. He barked once and jumped up on Yugi.

Yugi jumped out of his skin and stood quickly pushing the dog down and saving his "treat". "What the hell is wrong with you? Keep this up and I'm going to kick you outside. Is that what you want?" Yugi asked. The wheel's once again turned in the dog's mind and he reluctantly moved away from the teen. The dog watched uncomfortably as Yugi took a deep breath of the lite drug and sighed. Yugi smiled with contentment. It was a feeling that even dueling couldn't give him. The rush of happiness, excitement, and adrenaline was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Yugi took a few more drags and watched the dog spaciously, the drug taking its effect.

The black lab whimpered and squatted on the floor. Disappointment wreaking from his blood eyes. It made Yugi think of Atemu and wince openly. Yugi sighed and lay back on his bed letting the drug control his mind. The black lab got up and walked down stairs.

Pain evident on the dog's face he walked into the kitchen and looked around. There had to be some way to get Yugi's attention without pissing him off too much. The black lab found his target and made a dive for it.

Yugi's foggy eyes snapped open when he heard a crash come from downstairs. He got up immediately when he saw the black lab was not at his side. He tripped down the stairs and fell on his back on the floor of the living room. He laughed slightly and got up. Yugi looked cautiously in the kitchen to find the black lab...no, black and white lab sitting in the middle of his kitchen. Yugi walked up to it but stopped when he saw the mess on the floor.

The flour pot was in about 10 pieces and flour had been dumped all over the ground. Yugi was about to yell at the mutt when he thought he saw something...written in the flour? Yugi blinked hard a few times to focus his drugged mind and eyes on the message.

HELP ME.

Yugi blinked and looked back at the black lab. There was no way the dog wrote it. Yugi looked around for Joey to jump out and yell 'gotcha!' but that never came. Those crimson eyes never left Yugi's face as Yugi scanned the surroundings completely stunned. He finally looked back to the black lab. "What the hell?"

The lab stood and barked once, wagging its tail. This was it, Yugi would finally get the message. Yugi starred at the dog in disbelief, thousands of questions running through his mind. "Di-Did you...write this?" Yugi finished after a long pause. The dog barked and Yugi jumped. He shook his head laughing. "Oh I get it! It's the weed. I'm dreaming!" Yugi smacked his hand on his forehead. "I'm going to wake up on my bed any minute now." Yugi said.

The lab barked agin as if to tell him everything was real. Yugi starred at him. "Can...you understand me?" He asked in a whisper. The lab howled and wagged his tail faster. Yugi's breath started to become uneven. _Not more magic. I thought this was over with?_ Yugi thought and then considered... "Okay, bark twice." he commanded. Like a robot given instructions, the black and floured lab yapped twice.

Yugi started to move backwards and tripped over his own foot. He fell to the cold and hard ground. The black lab was at his side in a flash and started nuzzling his face. Yugi dragged himself backwards, scarred out of his mind. The lab stood where it was and sat comfortable by Yugi's feet. Those crimson eyes shined with happiness as Yugi shook his head. "Who the hell are you?"

A/N Okay guys, I'll wrap it up there. I think that was pretty good for chapter two. Like I said, my friend tried to commit suicide and I spend all my time with her now so it may take a while for me to update unless some miracle happens. Review?


	3. Confusion

1A/N Okay, now to update this story. Sorry if it seems a little dull. It will get better. I don't know if their will be yaoi in this story though so don't get too upset if there isn't. I still haven't decided. Sorry. Hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 3

Loud barks filled the game shop as the happy black lab pranced around in circles around the chair Yugi was standing on. Yugi wasn't so happy though. He wobbled a bit, still intoxicated from his "happy" hour. The black lab stood on its hind legs, happily trying to paw at Yugi's legs. Yugi jumped back and almost fell down. "Get away!" He shrieked. He wasn't scared, but he wasn't exactly sure if it was the drugs making him see things or actual reality. The line between the two seemed to be fuzzy.

The black lab retreated to a mild walk and back on all fours, made another circle around Yugi's chair. Finally, he sat in front of the teenager, panting slightly. Yugi didn't move a muscle._ Why did I have to let a street dog in here? He probably has rabbis or something. Maybe he already bit me and I'm seeing things from getting infected._ Yugi thought to himself. The dog refused to lift his eye contact, neither did Yugi.

"Okay." Yugi said calmly and not too loud as to scare the dog. "I'm just going to get down right now. You're not coming near me, and I'm not going near you." Yugi stated firmly as he slowly placed both his feet on the floor. The door starred up at him with excitement in his crimson eyes.

Yugi watched the dog carefully. The black and red mixture of the lab's eyes and fur coat made him seem like the devil himself. Yugi swallowed hard at the thought of a devil dog mauling him to death. He took a few steps back, glancing towards the phone. If he could get to it, he could call 911 and get the police to take the dog away. But the drugs? He would worry about that later.

Yugi turned slightly and lifted his hand to grab the corded phone. The black lab stood and guarded the teenager with a look of curiosity. Yugi froze. He and the dog starred at each other for what seemed like hours. Those blazing crimson eyes stinging his own amethyst. When he felt it was safe, Yugi took another shot at the phone. The dog's tail wagged as Yugi started to dial.

_Okay, Almost there._ Yugi thought, eyes flitting from the numbers on the phone to the black lab watching him closely. 9...1... Yugi held his breath his finger tried to push down the one again. No such luck.

With a quick bark, the black lab lunged at the startled teen, causing the phone to fall to the ground. The pounce brought both dog and boy to the floor. Yugi panicked and tried to push the dog off of him. However, the big dog didn't budge. It stood, paws on Yugi's chest just starring at him. "I'll scream!" Yugi stated. _Why am I trying to reason with a dog?_

With that the dog's ears went straight up, making him look ridiculously silly and kind of cute. The dog snapped its head towards the door and hopped off of the teenager. Yugi stood quickly and watched the alert dog. It starred at the door, not moving, eyes still and large. A sudden knock sent the dog bolting towards the living room and up the stair well. Yugi starred after it then turn his attention to the door. _That's odd._ Yugi thought, semi-relieved that the dog was out of the room. _Don't dog usually bark at strangers? It was almost as if he was afraid. _

Yugi walked towards the door and with a quick sweep of his feet, wiped away the warning written on his kitchen floor. Yugi opened the door slightly, praying to the Gods that it wasn't Joey here to yell at him for his behavior that afternoon. His eyes widened when he saw a tall dark skinned, brown haired adult that he knew very well standing on his dark door step. "Mahado?!" Yugi shouted, excitement, confusion, and joy flooding his slightly drugged body.

Mahado stood at the door, arms at his side, a warm smile on his face. Yugi hadn't seen him since his duel with Atemu. It was great to see an old and trusted friend. Mahado looked Yugi up and down. He bowed his head slightly out of respect. "How are you, young master?" Mahado inquired in a quiet voice.

Yugi threw the door open and welcomed his old pal in. "Mahado! I told you! Just call me Yugi." He motioned inside. "Come on in! What brings you..." Yugi looked at Mahado. He was suppose to be in the afterlife looking after Atemu. If he was here...did that mean something was wrong? Something _went_ wrong? Yugi felt his blood pressure rising. "It's Atemu isn't it?" Yugi whispered.

Mahado's smile vanished. "You know?" He asked, panic in his voice as well.

"He would be the only reason why you would come to see me." Yugi said. His knees were feeling weak. Did something happen to the former king? What if he never made it to the afterlife? Yugi was pretty sure he saw him enter but if his adventures with the pharaoh taught him anything it was to expect the unexpected. "What happened?"

Mahado's face paled. "Whatever he was tried to tell you are lies. All of it!" He rushed in with an explanation. "He is very sick! We — the priests and I —, need to get him back to our world. If not, our world is doomed."

Yugi blinked in confusion. "What he has told me...?" Yugi shook his head. "Mahado? What are you talking about? Atemu is missing?!" Yugi questioned, his voice rising in fear. "Was he kidnaped? Who took him from his world?"

Mahado starred in awe. "You mean he hasn't come to you?" He asked bewildered.

Yugi swallowed and then started choking on his own saliva. Mahado gave him a couple of thumps on the back to help him regain his breath. "You–," Yugi began put was cut of by a cough. "You mean Atemu is here? In this world?" Yugi asked. He felt excited, nervous, and angry.

Mahado nodded. "He was some how able to come back to this world. However, he is very..." he paused as if looking for the right word. "...ill." He finished. His eyes averted Yugi's as he starred at the cemented sidewalk. "Atemu was cursed by someone. We have not figured out whom the traitor is, but we have not stopped our search. We must find our pharaoh and bring him back home. I'm just surprised that he didn't come to you for help." Mahado said.

Yugi felt a little hurt. Atemu had been in this world the entire time yet hadn't looked for Yugi. He hadn't checked in with him? Made sure he was okay? Yugi bit his lip. A tear stung his eye but he blinked it away with his anger. "Why would he come to me?" Yugi questioned, irritation laced in his voice.

Mahado centered his gaze on Yugi. "Because he is very confused. The curse has made him believe that someone is out to get him. He has become quiet paranoid." Mahado explained. "That is why he left to begin with. I just figured that you would be the first one he would have asked for help from."

_I'm going to punch him if he says something like that again._ Yugi thought, swallowing a growl in his throat. He didn't want to be reminded that Atemu didn't want him around anymore. Yugi looked back into the house uncomfortably. He wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and forget this matter. "Well, if I find him, how will I let you know?"

Mahado looked alarmed but this was missed since Yugi wasn't looking at him. "Don't go looking for him. It may be dangerous. Besides, if he needs your help than he will most likely come to you." Mahado explained. "In that case, summon the Dark Magician on your duel disk and I shall sense your need for my presence."

Yugi nodded, giving a weak smile to cover up his disappointment. "Wait, shouldn't you be able to sense him yourself?"

"Not exactly, but it is complicated and I must be on my way." Mahado looked around for a sign of anyone. "Be careful. His paranoia has made him think that his friends are the enemy. If he does come here, be very careful. He is more dangerous than ever now."

"Why is that?"

Mahado looked down at the young man, "He isn't what he...seems." he stated and turn to leave. Before Yugi could ask another question, Mahado glanced over his shoulder and stopped walking. "You'll know when you see him what I mean." And with that he was gone. The shadows of the night trailing his cloak.

After shutting the door, Yugi made his way upstairs. He walked into his room to find the paws of the black lab sticking out from under his bed. When he heard Yugi enter the room, he poked his head out from under his shelter. Yugi shook his head, annoyance setting in. However, he wasn't in the mood to kick out the dog. In fact, he wasn't in the mood to do anything.

Yugi sat on the edge of his bed and took in everything that Mahado had said. Atemu is here...in this world. Yugi felt tears sting his eyes but there was no reason to cover them up now. He stood and walked gently over to the dresser on the opposite side of the room. The black lab watched his careful steps and cautiously, after looking about the room, walked out from under the bed.

It watched Yugi, its head tilted to one side. He stood and walked next to the teen to see what he was going to do. Yugi opened the dresser which held all of his summer clothes. Shorts that he never wore and short shirts that still had their tags on them filled the tiny space. Yugi rummaged through them until he found what he was looking for. The black lab saw it and barked loudly. Yugi turned, "Shut up!" He yelled, two tears rolling down his cheeks.

At this the dog silenced and backed away, startled. Confusion burned in it's fiery eyes as he looked at Yugi's saddened face. Yugi watched the dog and felt guilty. "This isn't a toy." Yugi stated, taking what he grabbed and walking to the bed with it. The lab followed closely.

Yugi clasped the object in his hand tightly and then opened it. The tiny silver pendant attached tightly to rope left an imprint in his hand. Atemu's cartouche. His name carved brightly in the silver, blood staining the rope from his final dark battle. Yugi bit his lip as another run of tears cascaded down his face. Yugi's grandfather had told him that Atemu had given that to him to give to Yugi in remembrance. Yugi thought of it more as a curse.

The black lab sat patiently at the teen's feet watching his face very closely. When more tears filled the amethyst orbs, the dog whimpered slightly and crouched down. Yugi took his finger and outlined the carved graphics. How could Atemu not come to him when he needed help? Yugi felt anger and tears that had built up over the past few weeks suddenly burst out. He fisted the cartouche and threw it across the room. The lab jumped at this and watched the item fly. A sudden feeling of going to retrieve the item and bring it back crossed its mind. He found the item and brought it back to Yugi.

"No." Yugi said. "I'm not playing games." Yugi stood suddenly and grabbed the dog by the back of the neck. "Drop it!" He demanded and the dog did so quickly. Yugi kept his hold on the dog and dragged it down the stairs. It yelped slightly but made no move to struggle. Yugi opened his front door and shoved the dog outside. "Listen, I don't know who you are or where you came from but I can't help you. You're going to have to find someone else." Yugi said, his mind drifting once again to Atemu.

The black lab whimpered and laid on the cold ground, watching the boy's newly found tears.

"I just can't help you." Yugi stated and shut the door. He ran back up the stairs and sprawled on his bed. He took the drugs still sitting there and threw them under his bed. He buried his head into a pillow and cried harder than he did the day that Atemu left in the first place. He couldn't deny it. Yugi had spent the past weeks hating Atemu for leaving, loathing him for not still being a part of him. But the truth was harder to face. Yugi didn't hate him at all. He missed him. But hating someone for leaving is a lot easier than mourning the loss of their presence.

An hour pasted before Yugi's tears became a lullaby and brought him a dreamless sleep.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A/N Okay, not a cliff hanger but I couldn't help it. Next chapter will be better. This is just making the plot thicker. OOOO! Okay now for the thanks!

Shamise- I know poor puppy. He wasn't much better this chapter was he? But next chapter...well I could tell you but then I would have to kill you! LOL. Thanks!

Dragonlady222- I know right. Thanks for your support about my friend. I really appreciate it. I hoped you liked this chapter but if you didn't than I know you will like the next one. I think it is much better.

Sliders245- You like dogs huh? I'm a dog lover as well. I have four dogs. I have a white puppy now! I love white dogs. Anyways, thanks for your review. Hoped you like this chapter.

Onix-21- Yugi definitely isn't close to understanding Atemu. Not by a long shot. However, next chapter he will get a little closer. Tune in next week...hopefully.

Atemu Yugi Lover 34- I hope that your friends who have tried decided that it wasn't worth it. My friend will get better...I hope anyways. Hope this chapter was to your satisfaction! Best of wishes.

Spidey meets wizard theif- Thanks for your review. It made me feel a lot better. Yes Yugi is slow, in fanfiction as well as in the anime. However, he gets a little smarter by the end of this story.

Lady Alexas- Thanks! I hope you liked this chapter!

CosmicEssence- I would have to say that your review was my favorite. I love it when people take time and effort so say a few gratifying words. It makes the writer want to write another chapter. I read your review recently and decided to do so. I guess you could say this chapter was up quickly because of you! Thanks again!

Blood Shifter- I updated! Maybe not soon but close enough right? XP Thanks!

Well thats all for now. I should have another chapter up within a week or so. Hopefully. Love you guys. Thanks for your support!


	4. Realization

1A/N Told you I would update in a week. Hahaha..you thought I was lying huh? I see that last chapter was to people's satisfaction. Hopefully this one will be too. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 4

Yugi didn't know how long he had been sleeping when he was woken up by howling from outside. Dazed and confused, Yugi lifted his head and listened. Coyotes in the city? Yugi frowned as he listened to another wail that he knew was coming from his front door. Yugi rolled his eyes as he realized the black lab was throwing a tantrum. Yugi laid back down and pulled a pillow over his head. His eyes were tired, mostly from being swollen from his crying.

After a few minutes and a few more howls, there was a long silence. Yugi was relieved. He didn't want people living around him to call him with complaints. Yugi shifted on his bed and turned his head to one side after removing the pillow. Atemu's cartouche was lying next to his head. Yugi sighed and turned the other way. He closed his eyes again, listening to the sounds of the city.

He drifted along the line of sleep and awake for what seemed like hours. Yugi started to dream of the time when he was a child and was trying to solve the millennium puzzle. He was eight, wearing a red hooded sweat shirt and small jeans. He could almost feel the pieces in his tiny hands. The warm metal bringing back the feeling of security.

A small knock came from the door to his room. "Yugi?" A voice called to which belonged to his grandfather. "Put away your toys. It is time to go to school."

The tiny Yugi smiled and began to put away the pieces to his puzzle. Another knock came from the door, this time louder. "Okay, grandpa! I'm coming!" Yugi shouted in a chibi voice. But the knocking continued, getting louder every time. Yugi flinched openly, terrified of the noise. "Grandpa?" he squeaked.

A loud bang caused Yugi's eyes to fly open. He sat up in a cold sweat, looking around wildly. _It was just a dream._ Yugi sighed in relief, almost laughing at himself. _What a weird dream to have. _Yugi thought as he laid back down. He listened to the voices coming from...the street? Yugi tossed the covers off and sat straight up. They sounded closer than the street, and Yugi didn't have any windows open. He frowned as listened again. He couldn't make out what they were saying but he could tell it was two males.

Yugi swallowed hard. Were they in the house? Another loud crash answered his question. It came from right down the hall. Yugi jumped out of bed and stood there shocked, unsure of what to do. His house had never been robbed before, what was he suppose to do? Call the police. But the phone was down stairs, and they were right in the hall that led to his room.

Silence outside the hall made Yugi feel like his loud heart beat was going to give him away. He tried to breathe as quietly as possible as he slid his way to the bedroom door. Yugi grabbed the pole of the metal lamp at his desk and prepared himself. This was his home and he had to fight to defend it. Yugi slowly turned the knob of his door and peaked outside.

It was dark and hard to see. However he caught a view of flashlights in his grandfather's bedroom. It was at the other end of the hall and he wouldn't have to pass the room to get down stairs. Another crash made Yugi jump as he saw his grandfather's dresser fall to the floor, clothes spilling everywhere.

"Did you find anything, Rick?" A husky voice asked.

"Not a damn thing." The other replied. "I'm telling you man, the old man's got nothing. We're wasting our time." He stated.

Yugi opened the door a little wider to the two crooks rummaging through his grandfather's clothes. Yugi cautiously and as quietly as he could, stepped out of the room and crept along the wall towards the stairs. He tried to move silently and fast but it was hard to blend the two. A floor board under him creaked slightly and Yugi held his breath. However, the robbers hadn't heard it and continued their rampage of the room.

Yugi made it to the stairs and slowly, skipping every other step, made his way down the stairs. At the kitchen, he picked up the phone that was laying on the floor. The same one that he had tried to use when calling 911 for getting rid of that dog. Yugi turned it on and then turned it off again but no noises were made. The buttons weren't working properly. "Damn dog." Yugi muttered under his breath.

There was another phone, it was in the living room. Yugi glanced up the stairs and then bolted to the other room. The living room was trashed but the cord phone lay on the floor and still in tact. Yugi picked it up and began to dial...But before he could finish a light was shone in his face. "Put it down, kid." A voice came. It was the guy named Rick. Yugi froze and slowly placed the phone down.

A man came from his right and pressed something hard against his head. The cold metal made Yugi feel butterflies in his stomach. An unmistakable click told him he was correct. Yugi's felt cold sweat break out on his face and back and the man came into full view.

Yugi couldn't see the man's face for it was hidden by a black ski mask. He wore all black on his slender figure. All Yugi could make out from him was his green eyes. He took a look at Yugi up and down before saying, "Keep your hands where I can see them." Yugi lifted his hands into the air but did nothing further. "Hey Jim! Get your ass down here!"

Loud thumps told Yugi that Jim was coming quickly. He entered the room and quickly jumped when he saw Yugi. He wore exactly what Rick did but his eyes were an orange color.

"I thought you said the kid was gone too." Rick demanded.

Jim shrugged. He strolled over to Yugi and took out his gun as well, pressing it to Yugi's temple. He drew a small line across his forehead, sweeping the blond bangs away from his eyes. "Shit." He swore, practically spitting on the ground. "Now what the hell do we do?"

Rick took his gun away and look back into the kitchen. The front door was wide open and he was checking to make sure there were no people around. "I think ya know what we got to do. Question is, which one of us." Rick replied and walked back towards Yugi. "He knows our names."

Yugi took a deep breath. "Take whatever you want and leave." He demanded, almost impress with himself. He couldn't help but wonder what Atemu would do in this same situation.

Rick snickered. "This one has a set on him." He smiled and pushed Yugi towards the flipped couch. Jim flipped it over and Rick pushed him onto it. "Sit down. You're going to have to wait a while." Rick smirked. He turned to Jim, "Go check the rest of the upstairs. See if you can find anything."

Jim nodded and rushed up the steps. Yugi followed the sound of his foot prints and damage he was causing and figured out he was in his own room. There was nothing really valuable there, other than the drugs. And Yugi really didn't care if they took them. Rick watched Yugi carefully, who kept an unreadable face the entire time. Rick paced back and forth, his gun still pointed at Yugi's head.

A few minutes later, Jim came back down stairs holding a few things in his hands. The drugs of course, which was all Yugi could see at the moment. Jim waved the drugs at Rick. "Kid likes to party." He said and laid down some spare change from Yugi's dresser as well. Then he held out something else that made Yugi's heart leap. "I found this thing. I don't know if it worth anything but it looks like silver to me." Jim said twirling Atemu's cartouche on his finger.

Yugi jumped to his feet but Rick was quicker. He pushed Yugi back down with the gun digging painfully into the side of his head. "It is worth nothing." Yugi tried to assure them but his shaky voice told them otherwise.

Rick smiled. "We'll take it and pawn it off."

"No!" Yugi practically shouted. That was the only thing he had to remember Atemu by. He had no picture or any other way to remember him. That cartouche was it. Though it reminded him of painful memories, there was no way he could part with it.

Rick chuckled. "There isn't anything you can do about it." He said as he pressed into Yugi's head harder. The metal started to feel even colder as if the room temperature was falling. Rick turned to Jim. "Get the car ready. I'll be out in a minute." He said before turning his attention back to Yugi. Jim gathered the items and left, taking away Yugi's only lasting connect to Atemu.

After Jim left Rick sighed, "If it makes you feel any better, you we didn't know you were in the house. We thought you were gone with the old man." He stated, raising the gun to Yugi's forehead. "I'm sorry for having to do—,"

Before he could finish he stopped abruptly and looked at his sides. Yugi blinked in confusion as to why he had stopped. Rick looked back at Yugi and opened his mouth to continue but stopped again, and this time Yugi heard why. A very low but vicious growl brimmed around them. Yugi looked wildly from side to side. The black lab? "Do you have a dog?" Rick asked.

Yugi shook his head, reading the fear off the crook.

Another low growl, this time louder came from behind the couch. Yugi froze and hoped that Rick didn't have a clue as to wear it came from. Rick kept searching the house, his eyes squinting. Yugi heard a floor board creak from behind him and so did Rick. He pointed the gun towards where he heard the sound but it was too late.

A black blur whirled by Yugi, jumping onto Rick. His gun flew away as he landed on his back, the dog standing on his chest. Their faces were but inches apart, and though Yugi couldn't see for himself, he knew that the crook must have been terrified. Vicious growls came out of the dog, saliva dripping out of it's mouth making it appear as if it had rabbis. Yugi reclaimed himself from his shock and went over to grab the gun. He picked it up, and not knowing how to use it, shoved it under the couch.

The black lab growled madly as Yugi went around to the phone. He dialed 911 and quickly got an operator. "My house is being robbed." Yugi said calmly and after giving him the address, hung up the phone.

Rick was panicking under the weight of the dog. "Jim!" He shouted before yelling out quickly. The dog took a giant bite out of his shoulder, silencing him to pitiful whimpers. Yugi felt no compassion for the man. He watched as the black lab showed it's blood stained teeth and barked loudly.

"You better leave now." Yugi said sternly. "The cops are on their way."

Before Rick could struggle to get the door off, Jim showed up at the door. Rick looked over and started screaming. "Kill it! Shoot it now!" He yelled, fear and pain lacing his voice.

Yugi panicked when the guy lifted a gun towards his savior. He bolted for him and pushed him away. The man quickly regained his ground by shoving Yugi to the ground and pointing the gun at him. Yugi backed away on his hands trying to get away from the shiny metal. The black lab's crimson eyes showed alarm as he quickly ditched the wounded robber and launched himself at Jim. However, Jim was quicker, he pointed the gun at the running dog and pulled the trigger. "No!" Yugi screamed as the dog fell with a yelp to the floor.

Sirens could be heard from down the street. Jim ran over to Rick and pulled him to his feet. "Let's get the hell out of here!" He shouted as the two crooks ran from the house.

Yugi rushed to the dog's side to find it whimpering and trying to move. "No. No." Yugi hushed it. "Don't try to move." He whispered, tears forming in his eyes. This dog had saved his life. Guilt from hitting and throwing it out seeped into Yugi's heart. He bit his lip to try to think of what to do when something caught his eye.

Atemu's cartouche lay inches from the dog's injured body. Yugi couldn't help but pick it up and examine it closely. He would give anything to see those crimson eyes again. Yugi covered his mouth so a sob wouldn't leak out. He looked back at the dog who, in spite of the pain, was looking up at him calmly. Crimson eyes.

An overwhelming calm settled over Yugi. He stroked the dog's fur on its head, starring at those blood red eyes. The dog looked at the cartouche and then back at Yugi. Yugi did the same. His eyes drifted from the silver metal and then back to the crimson eyes. Mahado's words drifted into his mind. _"He isn't all he seems"._

"Oh my god." Yugi whispered. He opened his mouth to say the name but it caught in his throat. "At...Atemu?" Yugi almost squeaked. The black lab's tail began to wag as it turned its head to Yugi and barked loudly. Yugi shook his head, "Impossible." He whispered to no one in particular. The black lab barked again and this time tried to get up. It got as far as its front paws on the floor but then yelped and collapsed on the floor.

Yugi took a few swallow breaths as the dog tried to get up again but failed miserably. "No. Stay still Atemu." Yugi commanded, somewhat pushing the dog to the floor. "I just... I just..."

"Sir! Is everything alright here?" A voice came from beside him. Yugi looked over to see two policemen and a paramedic rushing towards them. "What happened here?"

"Two men tried to rob my house. They tried to shoot me but At– this dog saved my life. They shot him instead." Yugi rushed into explanation. "I don't know where it hit him." He said frantically as he examined the dog in the poor light.

The police officer bent down next to the troubled teen. "Where are the robbers now? Did they leave?" He questioned. When Yugi nodded he order an immediate search of the next 50 blocks around the house. "Listen, sir. This paramedic will drive you to the emergency vet down the road. Hopefully they can help your dog."

The paramedic smiled hopefully at Yugi. Yugi wiped away a few tears before gently helping to pick up the injured black lab. Atemu whimpered softly as his sticky bloody body left the carpet. Yugi felt his hands wet from the animal's blood. "Its going to be okay." Yugi said, more to calm himself down than Atemu.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Yugi paced the floor of the emergency vet for hours. They had taken Atemu into surgery and hadn't given him any news on the condition he was in. The doctor performing the surgery had told him that it didn't look good. Yugi sighed heavily and sat in a chair. He felt so helpless, he couldn't just sit here and do nothing. Should he summon Mahado? Yes! Maybe he could heal Atemu. But in order to do so he would have to go home to get his duel disk and deck. What if the doctors were done by then?

_Maybe I should call Joey?_ Yugi pondered. _He can always make me laugh. _

"Excuse me, Mr. Motou?" A familiar voice came from beside him.

Yugi looked up to see the doctor who had done the surgery standing over him. Yugi jumped to his feet. Talk about perfect timing. "Is he–,"

"He is okay." The doctor smiled, "Lost a lot of blood from his shoulder but he is okay. He is waking up now if you want to see him. But be gentle, try not to touch him if you can. The wound will heal within a few days but it is still likely to become infected if it is touched." the doctor told him. Yugi nodded eagerly. "Right this way."

Yugi followed the doctor into a kennel room where several cages were keeping animals. They took two rights around the cages when Yugi saw the black lab laying on his side. He rushed over to the cage and the dog lifted its head groggily. Its tail wagged slightly as it gazed at Yugi with sleepy eyes. "Hey there." Yugi said.

The doctor watched the reunion of man and dog. Then something he forgot to mention crossed his mind. "Oh by the way. While you have him at the hospital it might be a good idea to get him fixed."

"No!" Yugi screamed too loudly at the same time the black lab let out a yelp. The doctor blinked in surprise. Yugi thought quickly. "Um...I mean he is a pure bred. A breeding dog. You can't find much like him these days." He laughed, trying to cover up both his and Atemu's protest.

The doctor nodded and turned to leave. "Of course. Try not to stay too long. The dog needs his rest. You can pick him up in two days. What is his name by the way?" The doctor asked.

Yugi thought for a minute. Atemu would be too obvious and weird for a dog. The perfect nickname came to mind. "Yami." Yugi said. The black lab looked at him with happy crimson eyes. "His name is Yami." He said again taking his hand and scratching the black lab behind the ears.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A/N Wow. All done this chapter. What will await these two next? Find out next time. Now for thanks.

**Blood Shifter- **So what did you think of Yugi's reaction? I had it planned out in my head since I started this story. I think it is okay. I hope I updated quicker than expected. I hope to add a chapter a week if my schedule will allow it. Thanks so much!

**Unique Art-** I really enjoyed reading your review. It is always nice when someone responds to a chapter by saying "I'm excited for more." Honestly, it makes me want to write more. I'm glad my stories give people something to look forward to. Thanks so much. I hope this chapter was to your satisfaction.

**Dragonlady222-** I know! Yugi is slow! It is so funny though. This chapter he figured it out! Next chapter might have a little more action in it or maybe even some questions will be answered. Mahado is so bad...but you'll find out why later. Thanks again!

**Atemu Yugi Lover34- **No yaoi as of yet. I may add some sort of yaoi twist to the end. This way people can interpret it as yaoi or just a good relationship. That way I can try to please everyone. Some people like stories about yami and Yugi but don't like the yaoi parts. This way everyone wins! Thanks for your support though. Keep reading my other stories if you want yaoi action.

**The Danvers Girls- **Thank you for your support about my friend. It is a rough time for our group of friends right now. I think that is why I have become so passionate about writing these past few weeks. I take my aggravation out on the keyboard! So now that Atemu found his way back in, Yugi figured everything out. How did you like that? I didn't make Yugi sound weak did I? I hate it when I do that because he really isn't. Hope you liked this chapter and thank you so much for your support.

**Tavia454-** Well I hope I updated fast enough for you. It is okay if you missed the story. You found it now. Unlike most people that read my stories, you actually submit a review! Out of the hundreds of hits I get on my stories I get about 9 reviews for every chapter. I can always count on yours though and it makes me very happy. Thank you so much.

**Spidey meets Wizard theif-** Oh don't worry! Mana is a deep part of my story. I like her. I view her as a person who is there for Atemu in all his little troubles. However, Mahado is a different story. He isn't as good as everyone thinks he is. Hehehehehe. I'm evil. You'll see what I am talking about soon enough. Thanks for much for your review.

**Wast3land-** You like something new huh? It is amazing. I love all animals and dogs especially. A lot of people have stories out about kittens which is all fine and all but what about dog lovers? We need some love too! I have 3 dogs and I love them to death! Anyways, glad it is something refreshing and new. Hope this story continues to be a good experience. Thanks!

**Lady Alexas- **You're going to look to me for advice huh? I was really happy to hear you say that. If you ever need any help with anything or just want someone to chat with, submit questions through reviews. I don't usually respond to reviews but I can for yours. Just to let you know, I look forward to your reviews each time I put up a chapter. It convinces me to update quicker. So thanks a lot. You support me and I'll support you!

**Sliders245- **I updated! Quicker this time than last time I think but I'm not too sure. I hope to be able to update at least once a week. I'm in europe right now and I have about 3 hours to the computer every other night. Plenty of time for me to update my stories! Thanks for your review and I hope you enjoyed my chapter.


	5. Recover

1A/N I don't know if this will be my last update for a while. Look on my profile if your wondering why. But there is something that I wanted to say. I have 40 people that have this story down for an alert. Yet I get about 8 reviews per chapter. This makes no sense to me. How hard is it to type a simple "good" or "bad"? Whatever. Here we go anyways.

Chapter 5

Yugi sat on his couch examining the black lab that stood in front of him. So Atemu had been there the entire time? Yugi crossed his arms and starred at the black lab. He was glad he was okay, but angry at the same time. More at himself than Atemu. The chocolate lab had left meny signs that pointed to the truth, he had just been too blind to notice them. The black lab cocked it's head to the right and lifted an ear. He looked kind of cute. Yugi shook his head. "I can't believe this."

Suddenly he remembered what Mahado had said. Something about getting him back as soon as possible and Atemu not as he seemed. Did Mahado know the entire time what Atemu had turned into? Maybe that was why he was unable to sense him. "What happened to you?" Yugi asked, knowing there was no way for the dog to answer.

He was going to have to call Mahado. But he wanted to spend more time with Atemu. He lost him once and never had the chance to really spend time with him aside from saving the world. Yugi wanted things to be different this time. Yugi stood and the black lab sat down. He broke his gaze from the crimson and walked over to the phone. His house was still a mess from three nights ago, he hadn't had a chance to clean up. He had spent most of his time with Atemu.

The poor black lab still had a tight bandage around its shoulder. It hurt him to walk on it so most of the time, he left his paw hanging limply by his side, never applying too much pressure. It hurt Yugi to see him in such pain. He flinched as the dog tried to follow him. "No." Yugi directed. "Stay there. I'm just going to call the gang and let them come over." Yugi explained. "Would you like that?"

The black lab let out a yip and sat back down.

Yugi smiled and dialed the first number that came to mind. It was only 8 in the morning but he knew Joey would be awake. A grumpy voice answered. "What?"

"Nice to hear you too Joey." Yugi replied.

Immediately the tone changed. "Yug! Man! I heard what happened! I thought about stopping by but I didn't want to intrude. You okay?" Joey asked in a rush of words.

Yugi couldn't help but laugh a little. "I'm fine. But there is something I want to show you. All of you in fact. Do you think you could get the gang over here? You wouldn't believe who is here." Yugi said, trying to hide the excitement in his voice. It would be wrong to keep this from his friends. He had to tell them about Atemu being back. He knew they missed him as much as he did.

The black lab laid down on the carpet and watched Yugi through half opened eyes. Yugi watched in concern as he tried to get Joey off the phone. "Yeah, I have to go. But come over as soon as you can okay. You'll like it." Yugi assured him and hung up without hearing a reply. Yugi crept closer to the dog laying on the floor. It didn't move or blink. "Are you okay?" Yugi asked.

He was about to put his hand on the dog's back when it suddenly leaped on top of him. Yugi shouted in surprise but fell backwards as the dog playfully pounced on his chest. It wagged its tail and placed both paws on the teen's chest. The force of the excitement made Yugi as well as the former king to forget about the injury the dog had endured. Unfortunately, the reality was brought back when the dog tried to stand on Yugi's chest. A yelp came out of the black lab's mouth and it quickly hopped off of his friend.

Yugi, who had been laughing at the time, quickly jumped to his feet and examined the dog. "Are you alright?!" He asked, voice filled with panic. When the dog sat down, it kept its paw slightly raised. Yugi felt tears come to his eyes. "Come with me." Yugi said as he stood and started to walk out of the room.

The black lab limped behind and panted slightly. Yugi was through the kitchen when the dog gave up and sat down, completely out of breath and eyes submerged in pain.

Yugi stopped and stood still. He allowed a tear to escape his eye. He took a shaky breath. Atemu needed to rest. Maybe it was a bad idea to invite his friends over. The black lab seemed to notice the teen's distress and tried to walk over to him again. This time, the dog didn't even get a step. He slipped and clumsily fell flat on his stomach. A dry sob escaped the teen's mouth as he darted over to his fallen friend. Yugi didn't know why he was crying. Atemu would be okay, it was just going to take some time. But the situation was his own fault. Atemu had gotten injured trying to save him.

The black lab tried to get to his feet but Yugi stopped him. "Let me help. You can't move around too much." Yugi tried to reason. Crimson eyes flashed concern towards the tears leaking down the younger's face. Yugi positioned himself on Atemu's side and gently lifted the black lab as much as he could. He was heavy. Labs were bigger dogs, but Yugi was determined not to make the situation worse by dropping him.

Yugi was afraid he might have been hurting the black lab yet he seemed to be enjoying the lift. As they made their way up the stairs, it continuously turned it's head to Yugi's face and sniffed him, tail wagging every now and then. "Better?" Yugi asked, entering his room and setting the dog on the bed.

The black lab barked excitedly and laid, comfortably down on the soft mattress. It was the only thing that remained set up. Yugi's desk, chair, closet, and dresser were a mess thanks to the robber's visit. Yugi wasn't concerned about that. Even if the police never caught them, they wouldn't come back if they knew what was good for them. He looked over at the empty bag that once held the drugs he had used. Yugi picked it up and Atemu lifted his head stiffly.

Yugi felt the burning crimson scrutinizing him but refused to look at him. He was so embarrassed that Atemu had witnessed him at such a vulnerable moment. But it was never going to happen again. He would never do drugs again. He would clean up his act. Yugi walked the bag over to the toppled trash can. He fixed it upright and dropped the bag into it.

The black lab let out a whine. Yugi turned sharply to see his friend with his head on his pillow and all stretched out. His back leg was trying to scratch at his wound. Yugi quickly ran over and stopped Atemu before he did too much damage. Atemu whined again and rubbed his head hard into the pillow.

Yugi frowned. "What's wrong?" He questioned, "Does it still hurt? Stop messing with it." He instructed.

The black lab shifted in the bed again and this time tried to nip at the bandaged wound with his teeth.

"No!" Yugi shouted and the dog jumped. "Don't mess with it or you'll make it bleed again. Why do you keep touching it?" Yugi asked.

The black lab whined and shifted over to Yugi. He grabbed Yugi's shirt with his teeth and dragged the teen down so he could sit next to him. When Yugi sat, the dog placed it's head in his lap. He looked up at his companion with desperate crimson eyes.

Yugi placed his hand on the dogs head and scratched between his ears. The black lab shifted it's body again, trying to get Yugi to move his hand. Yugi looked at the wound. "Oh." He said with realization. He let his hand travel over the bandage and removed it carefully. It seeped with discolored goo. There was no blood. Yugi placed the bandage on the bed and allowed his hand to gently move over the wound. Without using his finger nails, Yugi rubbed the wound, trying to relief the itch that distressed the dog so much.

Jackpot. The black lab groaned and panted as Yugi attended to the wound. His tail would wag every now and then but for the most part, he remained perfectly still. He shifted his head once so that he could look at Yugi. Amethyst and crimson met. Yugi was pleased to see the black lab's eyes showed relief.

Yugi continued his soothing movements, ignoring the ick buildup on his fingers. Yugi looked off in the distance. The vet had told him that the discharge was a sign of healing. However, it made Yugi uneasy and unsure if the wound was becoming infected or not. Minutes went by as Yugi starred at the wall. After a while, he stopped his movements.

When the black lab didn't stir in his lap, Yugi looked down. Atemu was sleeping. For the first time in days, he was actually sleeping. Yugi couldn't help but smile. His friend looked so peaceful. Yugi only wished it was that way for him all the time.

He was afraid to move, for he knew the dog would wake. But he had to wash his hands and redress the injury. So Yugi gently patted the dog's head, causing crimson eyes to open slightly. Yugi moved the dog's head to the bed and walked to the bathroom. Atemu lifted his eyes to watch the teen but made no move to follow.

Yugi washed his hands throughly, then got some more bandages. He gently cared for the wound, dressing it not to tightly but not loosely either. Atemu cooperated fully by moving his paw the way he was suppose to. He only whimpered once, when Yugi pressed too hard.

After the dressing was finished, Yugi rose. "How are you doing with the pain. Want some medication?" He asked. With that, Atemu threw back his head and let out a combination of a whine and a howl. Yugi laughed. "Okay, let me go get you some. You wait here." He instructed and walked down the stairs. He grabbed the needle and medicine vile. It was the first time he had given the drugs to the dog. The vet had shone him how to do it, but it still made Yugi nervous.

After getting the right amount in the vile, Yugi made his way upstairs to where Atemu still lay. However, when the dog saw the needle, he sat up immediately. Fear shown brightly in his blood eyes. Yugi carefully approached. "Trust me Atemu. It will make you feel better." Yugi soothed, trying to calm the frightened animal.

To his own surprise, Atemu looked up at him and growled. He froze. "Atemu." Yugi said sternly. The dog got on all fours on the bed and continued to growl. He looked back from the vile to the teen holding it. "Atemu." Yugi sighed. "Would I ever do anything to hurt you?" He asked. It was a stupid question. Not even a week ago he had slapped the dog. But to his relief the dog stopped growling and sat down.

Yugi approached. Atemu watched his carefully. "It's okay. This is going to make you a little sleepy. But you can just stay in here tonight. I'll be here when you wake up." Yugi explained. He pinched the skin around the dog's neck and injected the medication.

Atemu took a deep breath and laid down. Almost immediately, the drug started to take it's affect. Crimson eyes began to sag as Yugi disposed of the vile and needle. He sat next to his friend and placed his hand on his head. The dog looked up at him one more time before closing his eyes for good and falling into a deep sleep.

Yugi found himself starring at the dog. He was attached and hated himself for it. What was he doing? In a few days he would call Mahado and send Atemu back. Nothing had changed. Atemu would still be gone and he would still be alone. Yugi lifted his hand off the dog and looked away. He would do the right thing. He would return Atemu and after that, his duty was done.

A/N Short yes but I needed a healing chapter. Here are the thank yous.

Tavia454- Sorry this update took longer than expected. I've been dealing with a lot of crap from people on this site and I needed a small break. Next chapter should be up faster. I'm glad you thought Atemu almost getting fixed was funny. I thought I might add a little humor. This chapter was more for fluff but oh well. More excitement next one.

Dragonlady222- Mahado is bad! Yugi will end up calling him sooner or later. But that won't be for another chapter or so. Next chapter should be filled with even more excitement. I think Mana may make another appearance and so will the gang. Magical.. Yippy! Thanks for the support! I love it every time.

Gohanzgirl- I'm doing a wonderful job huh? I'm glad you think so. I'm hoping it isn't too terrible. I just noticed that there hasn't been a dog story dealing with Atemu and Yugi so I thought it would be a good idea to make one up. Hope it doesn't sound too far fetched. Thanks for the input!

ONIX-21- Yuppers. Yugi finally isn't slow anymore and figured out what was going on. Creepy huh? Poor Atemu. Hope this chapter was to the liking. I didn't want it too fluffy but I wanted to show how Yugi had changed. It will become more apparent in the next few chapters. Thanks again!

Unique Art- Holds hands defensively in front of self Don't kill me. I know my update was really slow this time and I'm sorry for that. People have been treating my work like crap on this site and I needed time to sort out my ideas. Kinda hard to write when people are telling you that you "can't write worth shit". Anyways, thanks for your kind review. It made me want to update.

The Danvers Girls- Thanks so much for the great advice. I know she will get over this eventually. It is just hard. I took a psych class online and learned that people who are actually getting better try to kill themselves because they have the energy to do it. I've been watching her night and day after I read that. I can make her laugh every now and then. She likes the attention and me coming over. Hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for your kind review and regards.

Blood Shifter- Liked the last chapter the best huh? What about this one? I hope it wasn't too boring. I just needed it to further my plot. Kind of a pain in the butt sometimes but if you have action all the time than people start to get bored and not surprised. AlwaysYourAibou taught me that. Thanks for your support. Always loved.

Spidey meets Wizard theif- Liked that getting fixed part did ya? I thought it was a nice touch. I like to try to add humor to my stories even if they are suppose to be overall serious. I know this chapter was a little short but forgive me. My next update should be quicker and longer in length.

ValyKirieRevolution- Mahado is sort of the bad guy. You'll see in other chapters that he isn't all he seems to be. I still haven't decided how I'm going to go about doing that yet. In my other story, he is like that too. He makes some bad decisions for the right reasons. Kinda feel bad for him. Anyways, glad you like the update and story. Hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for your review!

Atemu Yugi Lover34- You're in Japan? No wonder I hardly see you anymore. Oh, by the way. If you like my stuff you may want to chaeck out AlwaysYourAibou. He/She writes well and a very interesting story. Glad for your support as always and still waiting for another chapter to your story. I'll sit here and wait...forever. Until tonight. XP

No1butjoe- I know right! I love dogs and all the fics associated with Atemu and Yugi are always cats. Not that I have a problem with that but I like the dog aspect of it as well. I'm glad you think it is a wonderful fic. Sorry about the long update. Some people don't share your same opinion and were trying to tear me down. But I'm back now!

Yizuki- I like you. That is what I don't understand about some people. I have over 40 people alerted for this story yet a small amount of reviews. Even one as nice and sweet as yours makes all the diffference. So thank you for spending the time to put in some support and comments. It really makes writers like me happy. Thanks a lot! XD

HikariRose16- It was thanks to you and AlwaysYourAibou that I decided to update. I know I shouldn't let people get to me but for some reason I take everything to heart. I will try to finish this story and my other one but no guarantees that I will post another story any time soon. Thanks so much for the lovely comments. Like I said, it made me write. I read them last night and I started typing away.


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